VOTE411 Voter Guide

The District Attorney (DA) is the chief law enforcement officer and has authority over all criminal investigations and prosecutions in the county. The DA’s office works closely with local, state, and federal law enforcement to ensure that Pennsylvania laws are upheld and that citizens are protected by seeking justice for victims of crimes, prosecuting those engaged in criminal activity, and protecting law-abiding citizens. The District Attorney oversees employees having a wide range of responsibilities including advising police officers on how to conduct their criminal investigations, making charging decisions, pretrial litigation (including conducting preliminary hearings and omnibus pretrial hearings), evaluating evidence and plea negotiations, interviewing and advising victims and witnesses, conducting juvenile proceedings, conducting both bench trials and jury trials, and protecting criminal convictions in the appellate courts (including Federal courts).